Arizona Wildfires

The Causes and Effects of Wildfires in Arizona

Jayden Viene and Ryan La Ra

May 6, 2020

Wildfires have always been present in our world affecting humans for decades. They have displaced thousands, costed billions of dollars, and destroyed millions of acres throughout their history. But, as society keeps advancing into the future, so do wildfires as their numbers continue to increase. They have increased both in the number of wildfires started and in the number of acres (property) destroyed every year. These increasing numbers are silently effecting us and creating a deteriorating world environment and economy. And Arizona hasn't been immune to this effect either.

The Starting of a Flame

Wildfires may start small, but then have been notorious for growing and destroying thousands of lives and land.

Dry grass and shrubs provide the perfect fuel for fire

Wildfires in Arizona are not uncommon because of various conditions including:

Climate - Long, hot, dry summers create lots of dry fuel for the wildfire
Humans - 85% of wildfires in the United States are caused by humans.

Arizona's dry, hot summers allow burnt cigarettes to start wildfires

The primary reasons humans are responsible for starting the flame are:

Campfires left unattended
Burning of debris from camping
Incorrect equipment use and malfunctions
Discarded lit and burnt cigarettes
Intentional acts of arson

Lighting strikes are ranked 2nd in leading causes of starting wildfires

Additional reasons that contribute to wildfires include:

Lighting strikes have sparked multiple wildfires
Lack of Firefighters and National Park employees to monitor forest areas
Dry winters create dry shrubbery
Controlled burning for ecosystem health

All fires (wildfires included) need oxygen, fuel, and heat to exist

Reality of Controlling Wildfires

Forest Management and the 2011 Wallow Fire

Unlike the general belief, Wildfires, in reality, are very hard to control and contain due to the following:

The best known way to fight wildfires are with a prescribed burning of the wildfires future fuel

Wind - A change in wind direction creates multiple effects including a drop in elevation pressure increased at lower altitudes; the air gets warmer, the wind speed increases, and the humidity level drops. These effects together create the perfect conditions of causing a wildfire to spread from place to place.
Heat and Drought - Heat and drought create dry vegetation which is easily flammable increasing the fire's size and lifespan.
Fire Fighting Methods - Even in today's modern world, there is no way to easily control wildfires as no effective solution has not been found. The most popular solution at the moment is the prescribed burning method.
Remotely Controlled Flying Objects: Due to safety reasons, planes and helicopters that are used to suppress fires are not allowed to fly alongside non-government controlled flying objects. This can severely limit where they can put the fire out. A real-life example of this situation was when a drone was spotted flying around the Cold water fire preventing a helicopter from being able to help put out the fire.

Tweet from the Arizona State Forestry about the situation involving the drone

Damage Statistics

Arizona has had many wildfires within its borders. The statistics below show the damage these wildfire have caused

This image shows an inverse correlation between the number of wildfires started per year and the amount of acres they burn with more acres being burned in 2019, but less fires being started in the same year. One of the main theories on why the 2019 fires burned for more acres in is the growth of the grass during the past year thus creating more fuel. Another idea by scientists is that climate change has increased in temperature and wind, therefore wildfires have been harder to put out.

In 2018, the statistics for Wildfire are:

1200 Wildfires (January 1st to July 10th)
85,000 acres burned by Wildfires (from January 1st to July 10th)
Heavy implantation of fire restriction across the state due to severe drought and winter rain

On the other hand, the 2019 Wildfire statistics are:

935 Wildfires (January 1st to July 10th)
205,819 acres burned (January 1st to July 10th)
Got rain/moisture in winter of 2018 which allowed the grasses to grow heavily creating more fuel

Arizona's Top 5 Worst Fires burned around 1.5 million acres of forest land. Most of these fires are described in detail below. One of the main points to showcase is that all of Arizona's Top 5 fires have all happened in the 2000's.

This is an overview map of the wildfires covered below that have affected Arizona since 2000.

Rodeo-Chediski Fire

June 18, 2002-July 7, 2002

On June 18, 2002, separate arson acts by 2 individuals whose fires eventually merged into one became the second most destructive fire in Arizona.

The Rodeo Fire was started as a signal for a stranded motorcyclist

The statistics of the fire are:

468,638 acres of national forest and tribal lands destroyed in Northern Arizona
Went from 0 to almost ½ million acres burned within a span of 6 days
Result of two fires merging together (hence the name)
Human caused (Native American Leonard Gregg who was creating work for himself and stranded motorist Valinda Jo Elliott)
Burned 470 homes and caused the evacuations of thousands within close proximity of the fire

Horseshoe Two FireMay 8, 2011-June 25, 2011

Numerous Firefighters are shown fighting the Horseshoe 2 fire

The Horseshoe Two fire burned around 222,000 acres in roughly 45 days. It was a human caused fire, which cost more than $50 million to put out. During this period, the fire destroyed 23 structures and forced thousands, who lived in Paradise and East Whitetail Canyon, to evacuate. The Horseshoe Two fire, along with two others, helped to develop and change the landscape at Chiricahua National Monument making the park’s scenery into what it is today.

Wallow Fire

May 29, 2011 – Jul 8, 2011

The Wallow Fire happened on the border of New Mexico and Arizona. This fire was massive and is the most destructive fire in Arizona history. It shows the tremendous responsibility humans bear in causing wildfires.

Wallow fire jumps to 40,000 acres as of Jun 2, 2011

The Wallow Fire, the biggest in Arizona’s history, burned around 535,000 acres in close to 5 weeks. Believed to have been started from an out of control campfire in the Bear Wallow Wilderness area in the Apache and Sitgreaves National Forest, the Wallow Fire, despite burning hundreds of acres of forest, only burned down 31 homes as of June 14, 2011. Compared to the previous fire, the Rodeo-Chediski Fire, which burned down 470 homes. The Wallow Fire was fueled by a plentiful of dry grasses, high winds, and low humidity from an occurring drought.

Wallow fire biggest in AZ history

Blaze has cost $31.7 million to fight, and is threatening homes in New Mexico

https://www.youtube.com/

Yarnell Hill Fire

June 28th, 2013 - July 7th, 2013

On the morning of June 28, 2011, a lightning strike hit a patch of dry shrubs which started the Yarnell Hill fire. This fire, located near the town of Yarnell, ended up burning a total of 8,400 acres and destroying 115 houses. But, the most tragic part of this fire is the lives of 19 firefighters, The Granite Hotshots, it claimed because of the unpredictable shift in wind. These 19 firefighters soon went into history as the most firefighters a wildfire has killed since more than 80 years prior. The fire’s destruction ended up costing $900 million in damages.

Yarnell Hill Fire Map - This map shows the destroyed acreage due to the Yarnell Hill Fire. This relatively small fire cost millions of dollars in damages to the Arizona Government and took the lives of 19 experienced wildfire firefighters. This small area represents the large costs associated with even small wildfires and their resultant destruction.

Woodbury Fire

June 7, 2019 - July 16th, 2019

The Woodbury Fire is located to the East of Phoenix. This map shows the progression of the Woodbury Fire throughout its lifespan. The fire seemed to have started closer to Phoenix (Southwest) but shifted Northeast. The shift happened due to the wind and its effect on the fire.

The Woodbury Wildfire burned over 100,000 Acres

The Woodbury fire, being human caused, burned 123,875 acres of forests in the Tonto National Forest. It started near the Woodbury trail head in the park and forced many road closures around the area. It was a quick moving fire as in two days it grew from 500 to 3000 acres and the next day, it grew 2000 more.

The Woodbury Wildfire started in Tonto National Park

Wildfire Effects

Environmental Effects

Land that is destroyed by wildfires takes time to repair

Everlasting Terrain Effects

Wildfires have destroyed thousand of acres in Arizona and alters its terrain. After the fire burns shrubs and grass, the land is destroyed and will take multiple years for trees to grow naturally in the area back again. Also burnt wood takes an incredibly long amount of time to decompose meaning that the land cannot be used by nature for a while unless it is cleaned up by humans.

Burnt Wood takes around 50-1000s of years to decompose

Climate Change

Wildfires emit large deposits of carbon dioxide and other types of green house gasses into the air. These gasses are a direct cause to the increase in our climate and global warming. An interesting statistic about this is that amount of CO2, carbon dioxide, that is released into the atmosphere by wildfires in a day is more than the average of CO2 released by cars and trucks in the year. Futhermore, because of the effect of climate change, Wildfires are harder to control meaning that more acres are being destroyed.

Wildfire substantially increases the amount of carbon dioxide and green house gasses in the air

Destruction of Harmful Material (Prescribed Burning)

A Forest Story - Reasons behind controlled burnings

Sometimes, the government prescribes starting Wildfires or to allow wildfires to keep burning because it helps increase the survival rate of the ecosystem. For example, prescribed burning will help destroy parts of the forest that contain harmful diseases and viruses. Also, burning can help protect watersheds or natural runoff areas for rainwater. This helps protect communities from disease ridden water thus increasing safety.

Prescribed burning helps expand the lifetime of an ecosystem but is debated over because of its effects on the environment

Human Health Effects

Smoke released into the air by Wildfires can cause cancer

Air Qualities

The effect of air pollution over 10 days

The amount of Co2 that is released into the air is detrimental to humans. This is like pollution and can cause different diseases that mainly affect breathing and use of one's lungs. The firefighters who are close to the flame have a lot of trouble with the effects of Co2 on their breathing. Some of more dangerous effects of the air quality are asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and possibly cancer.

Natural Watershed/Rivers

Ashes are scattered everywhere due to Wildfires and their destruction

Wildfires create tons of ash and charred remains which can flow into water supplies once monsoon season hits. This makes it more difficult to clean/purify the water, increasing the cost of the purification process and increases the likelihood of harmful water. If not purified, then the water can be ridden with harmful diseases.

Diseases and Viruses

Abestos has been known to cause cancer in the lung lining

Some of the harmful effects of Wildfires on human health

During the cleanup of a Wildfire, there are many hazardous materials that the first responders can be effected by. One of the main resources is a mineral called asbestos, which is found in most houses built in the 1970s. This mineral has been know to cause Pleural Mesothelioma, a type of cancer that happens in the lungs.

Economic Effects

Costs from Destruction

Thousands of Arizona citizens have been forced to evacuate due to Wildfires

These Wildfires which have destroyed hundreds of houses, thousands of acres of land, and structures have cost hundreds of billions of dollars in several different ways. Some of it is due to property destruction reparations. Other reasons include doctor bills for those who are injured and money paid out to the relatives of the deceased. Also, thousands of dollars go into the relocation of people who were impacted by the wildfire. For example, the Yarnell Hill wildfire may have been one of the smaller fires in Arizona, but it cost 900 million dollars in repairs and reparations due to the extensive damage done.

Yarnell Hill Wildfire destroys over 100 homes

Economy

Prisoners can enrol and get paid for helping fight vicious wildfires

As Wildfires continue to occur in Arizona, the price for basic items increase

Wildfires have an effect on our economy. Due to the damage to properties and often goods, the economy takes a natural shift downward and results in a raise in prices of goods due to their lower supply within areas impacted by wildfires. Also, due to the areas that are effected, local and national businesses can lose thousands of dollars in property destruction and goods, setting them back severely. On the other hand, the one pro that can come from wildfires for the economy is the short increase in jobs in the economy due to the higher need of firefighters to help fight the increasing number of fires.

Geographical Analysis

There are multiple Geographical patterns that can be analyzed in reference to Wildfires to include Areas of Concentration, Change over Time and Surroundings.

Wildfires usually start and end in rural areas, which allows them to destroy thousands of acres and properties.

Areas of Concentration: The area of concentration for wildfires in Arizona are almost exclusively remote rural areas. Although wildfires can start anywhere, wildfires are more likely started and sustained in mountainous and forest locations, where the fires have enough tinder to grow into large infernos. Also, the frequently remote rural locations make it hard to monitor for new fires, letting fires grow without the knowledge of firefighters and other forest services.

An example of a small flame starting a big wildfire is the Sawmill Wildfire. This Arizonan wildfire occurred due to a gender reveal party, and ended up burning 40,000 acres

Change over Time: Throughout the history of Arizona's wildfires, there are many changes that have taken place. First, we can look at the overall area and its change before and after the fire, which is the damage that has occurred. One of the main ways to show its damage are images of the ground after the fire. We also look at the increase or decrease in wildfires over time, how they are caused each year, and the climate each year. Finally, we can look at the change over time of the economy due to wildfires, which is a decrease, since there are reparations paid and stores are destroyed.

Weather conditions can strongly influence where and how quickly wildfires will spread

Surroundings: Most of the time, wildfires grow within forests in rural areas that are dry and secluded. This combination allows for them to often grow into large conflagrations. Most of the time, they will stay in these rural area's until they are put out. However, there is a chance that the wildfire will move towards towns and roads because of wind or topology. Because of weather conditions, wildfires are very hard to predict and can move very quickly. One example of an instance like this is the Yarnell Hill Fire, which started in a rural area, but quickly moved and destroyed parts of the city of Yarnell, Arizona.

Concluding Thoughts

The increased wildfire damage has continued to devastate Arizona and Arizonan families. Taking just the top five largest wildfires in Arizona history we see that they burned over 1.5 million acres of land and around 1,000 homes/structures. These wildfires have a tremendous negative effect on society. Wildfires are speeding up climate change. Wildfires are creating health issues. Wildfires have affected the economy by the huge bill that can come with them and has led to the death of many people. However, on the other hand, wildfires can also help rid forests of disease and overgrowth. In conclusion, wildfires are more damaging than not and if they aren’t stopped, the effects will continue to worsen causing more damage to lives and property.

As wildfires continue to increase, so do the number of civilians effected

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